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Reptiles have had a bit of a raw deal throughout history. One millennium they're ruling the earth at the top of the food chain, the next they've been all but wiped out and are subject to the whims of a bunch of hairless ages.

Even those who managed to survive the change and adapted to their habitat don't have it too good. Take Gex, for example.

Through a bit of hasty evolution, he lands himself a happy life which consists mainly of watching TV, then along cmes an evil media baron named Rez who corrupts all the cable channels. Cue an all-action platform adventure over 26 levels as Gex sets out to put things right.

Gex originally appeared on the ill-fated 3DO console in a 2-D platformer which was great fun. His subsequent transformation into 3-D for the N64 and PlayStation was met with mixed reactions - many feeling that with the additional dimension Gex had somehow lost something in the gameplay stakes. Fortunately he's back in 2D for the Game Boy Color and it suits him perfectly!

With the problem of dodgy camera angles (which were a major gripe with the N64 and PSX incarnations) out of the way, there is little to detract from this enjoyable platform adventure with its unusual enemies. All the elements that made the original 3DO title such a hit are there and Gex's unique wall-climbing ability adds something to the gameplay that other platformers with their more run-of-the-mill characters don't have.

The control system in the game has been nicely thought-out and responds well. A brief push on the control pad will make Gex walk and if you hold down the button for more than a second he runs, thus giving you precision movement for edging up to gaps and also fast movement for crossing long distances in a hurry.

Gex: Enter The Gecko has the storyline, the quirky characters and the crazy TV and film-themed worlds of the 32-bit versions but the 2D viewpoint makes it vastly more fun to play. Another game that seems perfectly suited to the Game Boy Color and an essential purchase.